Prep Notebook: Admirals getting job done with defense

Jan 21, 2014 | 6:15 AM

Severn girls basketball coach Chuck Miller knew he had a good team coming back this year.

He may not have thought the team would be this good, though.

The Admirals, who fell to St. Mary's in last year's Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference championship game, graduated three starters from last year's 18-win team, but returned top scorers Emily Gibbons and Maddie McDaniel. That pair has helped the Admirals win 14 of their last 15 games, including eight straight.

On their way to their 15 wins, the Admirals have beaten some of the best teams in the county. They avenged last year's loss to the Saints with a resounding 61-35 victory on Jan. 10, and followed that up with a 77-48 victory over Old Mill five days later in a matchup of what many believe are the top two teams in the county. Severn (15-2) also owns victories over defending IAAM A Conference champion Archbishop Spalding, as well as a Severna Park team that has lost just two other games this season.

"It's been a few years since I had a team like this," Miller said. "They really like playing with each other, and when one kid makes a mistake, they're hustling down the court to try and make up for it. You can't teach that. I wish I could take credit for it, but I can't."

One of the ways the Admirals are getting it done is on defense. With three 6-footers in McDaniel, Gibbons and Lauren Manning, Miller has used a 1-3-1 zone in most games. With Caroline Steele pressuring the ball, teams are having a hard time getting past the zone. The result has been many low-percentage shots as teams hurry to beat the shot clock. In fact, one of Severn's losses came to Hendersonville (Tenn.) at the Hilton Head Christmas Tournament where a shot clock was not used.

"With our three 6-footers across the middle, teams are struggling with our 1-3-1," Miller said. "With the 30-second clock, teams don't have the time to fool around."

Miller said he gave his team two goals coming into the season. One was to be the top team in Anne Arundel County and the other was to be top team in the IAAM B Conference. With a 8-0 record against county teams, the Admirals are well on their way to achieving their first goal. They are 6-0 in the B Conference and will face one of their toughest tests on Friday with a game at the Institute of Notre Dame, which is also unbeaten in the conference. Severn closes its regular season schedule with a game against Meade followed by conference games with Bryn Mawr, Maryvale Prep and Indian Creek, which have a combined conference record of 4-15.

"We're well aware as a team what we are. The kids know their limitations and don't try to do things they can't do," Miller said. "We've had a good time this year so far."

MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICANS: Archbishop Spalding's Jourdan Grant and Indian Creek's Cyndi Cole have been nominated for the McDonald's High School All American games taking place on April 2 at Chicago's United Center. Nearly 1,000 players from 44 states and the District of Columbia were nominated, and the final list of 24 boys and 24 girls will be announced during the McDonald's All American Games Selection Show on ESPNU on Jan. 29 at 6 p.m.

HAWK TO THE BIG 33: Team Maryland has announced that Meade's Jake Hawk has been added to the team for the Big 33 Football Classic against Team Pennsylvania, which will take place on June 15 in Hershey, Pa. Team Maryland returned to the game last year following a 20-year hiatus. Hawk, who has committed to the Naval Academy, also played for Team Washington in the Maryland Crab Bowl All-Star Game.

RUNNER OF THE YEAR: Severna Park's Ryan Forsyth has been named the Gatorade Maryland Boy's Cross Country Runner of the Year. Forsyth helped the Falcons win the Class 4A state title with a first-place finish at the state meet on Nov. 9. He also helped Severna Park win its sixth county title in seven years.

WRESTLING HONORS: With his 7-0 showing at the Cavalier Duals over the weekend, Spalding's Logan Breitenbach became the Cavaliers' all-time wins leader with a career record of 177-27, passing Cole Graves from the class of 2013. Breitenbach, who will wrestle next year at Iowa State, is 33-1 this year.

Broadneck's Connor Joyce went 10-0 at the South Hagerstown Duals over the weekend to take first place at 132 and recorded his 100th career win.

STATS: Basketball and wrestling statistics are available on the high school sports page on http://www.capitalgazette.com. Coaches are asked to email stats after each game to bhough@capgaznews.com. Nominations for athletes of the week can can also be submitted via email prior to noon on Mondays.